It's All About the Build with I.B.F.HotRods

In this episode of It’s All About the Build , Elliot and Melanie sit down with VooDoo Larry for an in-depth, no-filter conversation about a life shaped by kustom culture. From early influences and the pull toward building, to the music, art, and attitude that defined an entire timeline in automotive history, Larry breaks down what it really means to build with intention and stay true to your visio...

Custom car builder Travis Sylvester shares how he went from working a full-time job at night builds to running Sylvester’s Customs full time through YouTube, paint, and education. In this episode of It’s All About the Build , I sit down with Travis Sylvester , owner of Sylvester’s Customs in California and host of the Sylvester’s Customs YouTube channel . Travis shares what it was really like work...

In the Season 2 premiere of It's All About The Build, we travel Indiana’s backroads to meet Mikey Brown, a visionary builder with a dream of becoming a Hot Wheels Legends Tour Champion. From his home shop, Mikey shares his incredible journey, fueled by passion, creativity, and determination. This episode explores Mikey’s early inspirations, from playing with Hot Wheels and building model cars as a...

Kevin Tetz shares his journey from rockstar to automotive painting legend, lessons from decades painting classics, and a behind-the-scenes look at Paintucation University — the ultimate resource for aspiring painters. In this episode of It’s All About the Build , we head south of Nashville to Columbia, Tennessee , home of the infamous Motor Alley, to sit down with Kevin Tetz — one of the most know...

Justin Nichols of Nichols Paint & Fab shares the story behind his shop, his hit TV show Wrench’d , and the lessons learned building a custom car empire from the ground up. In this episode of It’s All About the Build , we hit the garage with Justin Nichols of Nichols Paint and Fab , joined by Maegan and Mitch, to uncover the raw, unfiltered story of their shop and custom car empire. From humble...

Bryan Devrous and I go back. We worked together, learned together, and now we're both running our own shops. In this episode Bryan tells the real story of how Cane Creek Custom went from nothing to one of Nashville's go to shops for paint and full builds, and he did it fast. We talk about what it takes to build a reputation when nobody knows your name yet, how our friendship pushed both of us to b...

The 2024 Ridler Award winner is in. Following up on our Great 8 breakdown, Randy and I go through who took it, why they took it, and what we saw behind the scenes that most people didn't. There's some drama involved because there always is when the biggest award in the custom car world is on the line. If you listened to our Great 8 episode, this is the payoff. Join the conversation: "It's All Abou...

The 2024 Detroit Autorama Great 8 finalists. Eight cars competing for the Ridler Award, the biggest prize in custom car building. Randy and I break down every single one. What the judges are looking at, what most people walk right past, and what separates a car that makes the Great 8 from a car that wins the whole thing. If you want to understand what Ridler level craftsmanship actually looks like...

Melanie makes her debut on the show, and she brought Pete. Between the two of them they've got over 35 years of assembly line car manufacturing experience. In this episode we put factory production and custom car building side by side. The precision of the assembly line vs. the handcrafted approach of building one off classics. How the skills translate, where the worlds overlap, and where they cou...

What happened to good car shows? Randy and I share our honest thoughts on what's missing in today's classic car and custom car television. We talk about Bitchin' Rides, Texas Metal, Top Gear, Fantom Works, Wheeler Dealers, and yes, we get into Richard Rawlings, Fast N Loud, and the infamous Bad Chad. This is a builder's perspective on how reality TV portrays this industry, what they get right, wha...

Is it worth upgrading your classic into the 21st century? Randy and I go through it all. Engine upgrades, throttle body EFI systems, suspension options, air rides vs. coil overs, brake upgrades, full rewiring, modern radios, and everything in between. We lay out what's worth the money, what's not, and what we'd actually put in our own builds. Fair warning, this one goes off the rails a few times w...

Everybody's got an opinion on what a classic car is worth and most of them are wrong. In this episode Randy and I dig into the research behind how people price their vehicles, what actually drives the number up or down, and why there's such a gap between what sellers think their car is worth and what the market says. We actually went out and asked people why they priced their cars where they did....

A 1968 Chevrolet C10 came into the shop described as "90% done." It had paint, interior, and an engine. Sounds close, right? Not even. In this episode Randy and I break down what it actually took to get this truck across the finish line. The processes, the details, and all the "simple things" that aren't simple at all. Just because a vehicle looks complete doesn't mean the job is over. We also tel...

Big shop or small shop? It matters more than most people think. In this episode Randy and I compare the pros and cons of large shops vs. small shops, both from the customer's perspective and from the builder's. If you're looking for a shop to build your car, there are things nobody tells you about how each environment operates and how it affects your bill. And if you're trying to break into this i...

Most people have no idea how to properly look at a custom car or restoration. They see the paint and think it's done right. In this episode Randy and I teach you how to actually examine a build. How to see the flaws, how to pick out the fakes from the real deal, and what separates a car that wins awards from one that just looks good from ten feet away. We go into detail on paint, customization, en...

"Why do these cars cost so much?" It's the most asked question in this industry and the most misunderstood. In this episode Randy and I answer it from the builder's side. We talk about all the details people never see, all the time that gets overlooked, and why six figure price tags on custom builds aren't as crazy as they sound once you understand what actually goes into them. If you've ever look...

Part 2 of our Ridler Award breakdown. Randy and I finish the conversation on what it takes to compete for the biggest award in the custom car world. The details most people never think about, what you can take from the Ridler process and apply to your own builds to stay above the competition, and the mindset behind building at that level. If you listened to Part 1, this is where we tie it all toge...

The Don Ridler Award is the highest honor in custom car building. Most people see the winner and have no idea what went into getting there. In this episode Randy breaks it down from the inside. He was part of a Ridler Award winning team, and he walks through exactly what the judges look for, the level of craftsmanship required, and what separates the best from everyone else on the floor at Detroit...

This is the part nobody wants to talk about, but it's the part that decides whether your build makes it to the finish line or sits in your garage for a decade. Randy and I break down the entire planning process for a restoration or custom build. What needs to be done, in what order, and what most people forget to account for until it's too late. It's not the prettiest topic, but it's the most cruc...

You bought the car. Now what? Keep it all original with a nut and bolt restoration, or go the restomod route and make it yours? In this episode Randy and I break down the real differences between staying stock and going custom. What matters, what doesn't, and what most people overlook when they're planning out their first build. A full restoration sounds great until you realize what it actually co...

You've been looking at cars online for six months. You're ready to pull the trigger on your first project. Before you do, listen to this. Randy and I walk through everything we wish someone had told us before our first builds. What to actually look for, what's going to cost you more than the car itself, and the mistakes that turn a dream project into a money pit sitting in your garage for ten year...

How do you go from building hotrods out of an apartment to running your own shop? In this episode Randy and I tell the whole story. How we met, how IBF HotRods started, moving across the country, and everything that went into building this business from nothing. We also get into how the podcast came together and why we felt like this industry needed a show that wasn't afraid to say what everybody'...

Why do we do this? Why spend years on a single car that nobody asked us to build? In this episode Randy and I break down the three reasons we keep coming back to the shop. The cool factor of building something nobody else has, the satisfaction of handing a customer something they didn't know was possible, and the artistic freedom you can't get punching a clock somewhere else. If you've ever tried...

This is where it started. I'm Elliot Slack, owner and founder of IBF HotRods out of Huntington, Indiana. Custom hotrod builder, fabricator, and the host of this show. In this first episode fellow car builder Randy Bunting and I sit down to talk about why we do what we do, where we come from, and why we decided to start a podcast in an industry that doesn't have enough honest conversations happenin...